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UP CM may take tough stance against Kalyan

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Armed with the central government's endorsement of a carrot-and-stick approach to tackle ousted chief minister Kalyan Singh, his successor Ram Prakash Gupta last night flew back to Lucknow to expand his 70-member Uttar Pradesh ministry without drastic changes.

"I will take a balanced approach and not spring too many surprises in my Cabinet expansion," Gupta told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, and others in South Block yesterday.

Senior party general secretary K N Govindacharya, who later briefed reporters, was also present.

The chief minister ducked a question whether Kusum Rai, said to be close to Kalyan Singh, who had made her chairperson of the state women's commission, would retain her post.

Gupta had already admitted in Lucknow earlier that he was under pressure to reverse the decisions taken by the ousted chief minister just before demitting office. "The matter is under consideration," he had retorted to a persistent reporter who wanted to know Rai's fate.

The fact that state BJP chief Rajnath Singh accompanied Gupta to Delhi was indication that the central leadership, especially Vajpayee, wants the Uttar Pradesh chief minister to adopt a tough stance against Kalyan Singh who continues to demand party organisational changes in the state to suit his political game plan.

Singh has been clamouring that the organisational changes should include Rajnath Singh's removal. But Govindacharya virtually delivered a slap on Kalyan Singh's face by announcing that Rajnath Singh would continue to be the state party chief for at least six months until the organisational elections.

According to top BJP sources, Gupta, in deference to the prime minister's wishes, will exercise a tough stance against his predecessor while making conciliatory noises so that his supporters are not unduly provoked. An indication that Gupta will simultaneously try and accommodate some of Kalyan Singh's demands was reflected in party vice-president Krishan Lal Sharma's statement.

Sharma had said on Monday that the central party leadership would review the role of certain partymen who were also responsible for the BJP's dismal performance in the state in the recent general election.

It is learnt that Advani is in favour of the new chief minister "carrying along everyone in the party" to recover lost ground and dispel the impression that factionalism in the BJP is as rampant as in the Congress.

Significantly, Govindacharya rejected reporters' suggestions about "the Congressisation of the BJP". "Guptaji owes his chief ministership to the central leadership and it is natural that he will do its bidding. His priority is to listen to what the central leaders say, rather than humouring those who have undercut the party's prospects," commented a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh. "I can assure you that Guptaji would rather go down fighting on the central leadership's side than be a revolutionary like Kalyan Singh."

But the central leadership is keeping a wary eye on Kalyan Singh and his followers. The sources underscored that Intelligence Bureau sleuths had reported that mischief-makers were trying to set up a meeting between "sworn enemies" Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Kalyan Singh to create problems for Gupta.

"We know what is happening, but we have a sound strategy to even take care of imponderables," claimed BJP spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu.

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